Rock legends Metallica celebrated their controversial debut at Britain's iconic Glastonbury Festival on Saturday night (28Jun14) by inviting hundreds of fans onstage to watch the performance up close. More than 200 mud-spattered festival-goers - many of them wearing Metallica T-shirts - lined up at the rear of the enormous platform behind Lars Ulrich's drum kit, cheering and dancing throughout the gig.
The choice of headline act proved controversial in the run-up to the event, with many critics arguing a heavy metal band has no place at Glastonbury, but the Enter Sandman hitmakers closed the second day of the festival in style with a high-octane set that thrilled the crowd.
During the show, frontman James Hetfield addressed the controversy over the band's inclusion, telling the crowd, "Metallica is grateful to be invited to such an event called Glastonbury. We're very proud to be here and to be representing, can I say, the heavier sides of music, alright? I know it's all represented here so why not heavy rock, heavy metal, huh? It's about time."
He then dedicated the band's next track, Sad But True, to his fellow heavy rock groups hoping to follow in Metallica's footsteps by performing at the festival in future.
After ending their set with a version of Whiskey In The Jar and their track Seek & Destroy, during which dozens of huge inflatable balls embossed with the band's logo were released into the crowd, Hetfield said, "Thank you. Metallica loves you, Glastonbury. You made us feel so good. Thank you for having us."
Before leaving the stage, Ulrich took the mic to thank Glastonbury boss Michael Eavis and his family for inviting the band to perform, adding, "Metallica f**king loves you and we hope to see you one more f**king time."
Glastonbury closes on Sunday (29Jun14) with performances from acts including Dolly Parton, Ed Sheeran, and Kasabian.

Metallica star Lars Ulrich has dismissed the controversy over the band's upcoming appearance at Britain's Glastonbury festival as "ridiculous". The band is set to become the first heavy metal act to headline the fabled music event when they take to the stage later this month (Jun14), but their inclusion on the bill has sparked debate over whether hard rock acts have a place there.
A petition has also been launched by animal rights activists opposing the band's Glastonbury appearance over frontman James Hetfield's decision to narrate a new U.S. documentary about bear hunting in Alaska.
However, Ulrich is adamant they will not let the nasty comments ruin their big moment, telling Metal Hammer, "Glastonbury is like the Holy Grail in England and we're respectful to that, but when somebody sits there and talks about petitions or what some other guy says, there's a point that it just becomes ridiculous. We're fairly thick-skinned and turn a blind eye to it or whatever, but if Mick Jagger, or Alex Turner, or the very nice guys in Kasabian who I love (talk about Metallica at Glastonbury) it's cool. But at some point, when there's some guy in some other band... it's like 'Huh? What? Who are you?'"
The 2014 Glastonbury festival kicks off on 27 June (14) and also features acts including Ed Sheeran, Lily Allen, Arcade Fire and Kasabian.

Rockers Metallica are desperate to prove the doubters wrong with their headline slot at Britain's Glastonbury festival, insisting the controversy around their inclusion is "a good thing". The Enter Sandman hitmakers were unveiled last month (May14) as the surprise bill-topping act on the Saturday night of this year's (14) event, which will mark the first time a heavy metal band has headlined the iconic festival.
The announcement surprised many critics, who suggested they are unsuitable for the event and cited a similar furore surrounding Jay Z's Glastonbury set in 2008.
However, drummer Lars Ulrich is adamant the controversy proves fans are still passionate about music and he reveals the rockers are determined win over their critics.
He tells BBC Radio 1's Rock Show, "The fact that everyone's got an opinion I'll take as a good thing because it means that people still care and are still interested and we still have one foot in relevance of some sort...
"It's comforting that 33 years into a career you can still mange to stir it up a little bit. Glastonbury is the biggest, greatest festival on this planet and we're headlining Saturday night. Bring it on. We're going to show up and have fun but all the hoopla is interesting."
The three-day festival, which will also feature sets from Lily Allen, Ed Sheeran, Arcade Fire and Kasabian, takes place in southwest England from 27-29 June (14).

Metallica have been announced as the first heavy rock act to headline Britain's Glastonbury festival. The group will fill the summer music event's vacant headline slot on 28 June (14) and join Kasabian and Arcade Fire as the main draws for the iconic weekend festival in Somerset, England.
The gig will mark Metallica's debut appearance at Glastonbury, and serve as a warm-up for the band's Sonisphere festival appearance at Knebworth Park, England in July (14).
Confirming the news on Thursday (08May14), festival founder Michael Eavis told the BBC, "They wanted to play for a long, long time and they're one of the most amazing rock bands in the world; everywhere I go people say, 'When are Metallica going to play?' I said, 'They will be here one day', and this is their time now."
Drummer Lars Ulrich says, "I feel ecstatic. We've been waiting for this phone call for years."
Among the hundreds of acts set to perform at Glastonbury this summer, alongside the headliners, are Dolly Parton, De La Soul, Manic Street Preachers, Yoko Ono, Jake Bugg and Ed Sheeran.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?
Claire is an attractive CIA operative and Ray is an M16 agent who simultaneously leave their Governmental spy activities in the dust to try and profit from a battle between two rival multi-national corporations both trying to launch a new product that will transform the world and make billions. Their goal is to secure the top-secret formula and get a patent before they are outsmarted. While their respective egomaniacal CEOs engage in an unending battle of wills and one-upmanship Claire and Ray start out conning and playing one another in a clever game of industrial espionage that is even more complicated due to their own long-term romantic relationship.
WHO’S IN IT?
Reuniting Closer co-stars Julia Roberts (as Claire) and Clive Owen (as Ray) turns out to be an inspired idea. They turn out to be the perfect pair oozing movie-star charm and electricity in this elaborate con-game that might have been the kind of thing Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant might have made in the '60s (in fact they did in Charade). Roberts with that infamous hairstyle back the way we like it and Owen looking great in sunglasses prove they have what it takes to navigate us through this ultra-complex plot in which no one is sure who they can trust at any given moment. They play it all in high style and the wit just flows as the story skirts back and forth during the period of five years. The supporting cast is well-chosen with juicy roles for Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti (out of their John Adams duds) as the two CEOs going for each other’s throats. Giamatti who sometimes has a tendency to overdo it is especially slimy here and great fun to watch.
WHAT’S GOOD?
Big-star studio movies today rarely take risks and often talk down to the audience but in Duplicity writer/director Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) has crafted a complicated con-comedy that requires complete attention at all times just to keep up with the dense plot’s twists and turns. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a New York Times crossword puzzle and Gilroy and his top-drawer production team deliver a glossy beautiful-looking film that’s easy on the eyes hitting locations from Dubai to Rome to New York City.
WHAT’S BAD?
Like any good puzzle it sometimes can be frustrating putting it all together and Gilroy’s habit of taking us back in time and then inching forward gets a little confusing even with the on-screen chyron pointing out where we are at any given moment. Stick with it though and you will be well-rewarded.
FAVORITE SCENE:
A scene near the end where the formula must be found scanned and faxed in a matter of minutes is sweat-inducing edge-of-your-seat moviemaking and it provides the ultimate opportunity for Roberts and Owen to take the “con” to the next level. Another where Roberts uses a thong to try and trick Owen into admitting an affair he never had is also priceless and gets right to the heart of the game-playing.
GO OUT AND GET POPCORN WHEN ...
Never. Stock up during the coming attractions. If you miss a moment of this entertaining romp you might never figure it all out.